Lions of Zion
The Lions of Zion (originally known as the Lavin Knesset Yisroel) are an ancient and venerable Craft that focuses on Kabbalah as a tool for using magic. Tightly bound to Judaism and jewish communities, the Lions of Zion abstain from the Ascension War in order to focus on protecting their people. Paradigm The Lions of Zion see the influence of God as omnipresent within the world, but also believe that this influence is subtle and often hidden. To decipher His plan, they consult with the Torah and kabbalistic scriptures like the Sepher Yetzirah. As these books contain hidden wisdom, so does Creation. The Lions believe that God's plan is already manifest in the world around them and seek to decipher it to better obey His plans for His people. Knowing that God's mind is too vast for one being to comprehend, they merely glance at tiny pieces of the plan that their communicate to their congregation. Most Lions don't call what they do "magic", instead attributing it to God and His angels. Their craft is more of a spiritual undertaking than anything else. Their main Spheres are Spirit, Mind, Entropy and Correspondence, although they don't believe in the sphere model of the Traditions. Instead, they regard it as a complex set of correspondences between the divine energy and sacred scriptures. History The Lions of Zion claim their lineage to Moses, whom they see as the first of their craft. When the Israelites settled, the Lions became the guardians of the temples and transformed into priests and prophets who intermingled with the population to keep them in God's good grace. After the destruction of the Temple and the diaspora of the Jews, the Lions followed, keeping a close watch on their people and protecting them from the depredations of demons, monsters and rival mages. Renaissance While several Traditions adopted Kabbalah, most notably the Order of Hermes and the Celestial Chorus, the Lions were overlooked during the Grand Convocation. Most had no interest with joining with outsiders, instead focusing on their original duty. Victorian Era As they studied magic only to serve their communities, the Lions of Zion managed to avoid the scrutiny of the Order of Reason and the Technocracy. During this time, the Lions faded entirely from the public view, with most mages that had heard of them in the first place assuming that they had died out. Modern Nights Numerous Lions died at the hands of the authoritan regimes of the 20th century in order to protect the Jewish people, and much of their accumulated knowledge was lost. They rejoice at the founding of Israel, and many Lions have resettled to this state in order to protect it against its numerous enemies, both supernatural and mundane. Organization The Lions of Zion have strict standards for joining. Only male, orthodox jewish scholars around 40 who are properly married and possess both faith and a strong character are considered for membership. The Lions believe that a family binds the Lion to the community and helps him to avoid becoming lost in esoteric pursuits. A small craft, the Lions have little to no overarching hierarchy. Elders are respected for their wisdom, while most students are tutored even as Sleepers and carfully nudged towards Awakening, resulting in a very homogenous society. Factions * Watchers of the Temple: Young mages who Awakened early, they are trained to control their powers and instructed in the ways of the Lions. * Protectors: Defenders of the jewish communities and the knowledge of the Craft * Prophets: Teachers who use the knowledge born from their magic to better their communities * Keepers: Loremasters of the Craft that are often senior members. References * , p.102-103 * , p.36-38 * Category:Mage: The Ascension glossary